Tandem Diabetes Care Inc., manufacturer of the only touchscreen insulin pumps available in the United States, has announced plans to implement a new infusion set connector for Tandem insulin pump cartridges and infusion sets, the t:lock Connector. Consistent with the philosophy followed for the development of all of Tandem’s products, the t:lock Connector was designed based on direct customer feedback related to the process for filling the infusion set with insulin. The new design reduces the time required to fill the infusion set tubing by approximately 30 seconds and reduces the amount of insulin used in the process by approximately four and a half units.

“We strive to continue improving our products based on customer feedback, and the length of our cartridge change process has consistently been among the top requests,” said Kim Blickenstaff, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care. “The new t:lock Connector looks and feels like the current connector, but improves the overall experience of changing the cartridge.”

All the infusion sets currently offered by Tandem Diabetes Care will be made available with the new t:lock Connector. The new infusion sets will have the same insurance coverage as current sets.

Tandem expects to begin a gradual roll out of the new t:lock Connector in the second half of 2017. The company plans to offer both the current connector as well as the t:lock Connector through the end of the year to make the transition as smooth as possible for existing customers. Current Tandem pump users will be contacted by Tandem or their current supplies distributor with more information closer to the time of availability.

Tandem Diabetes Care designs, develops, and commercializes products for diabetics who use insulin. The company manufactures and sells the t:slim X2 Insulin Pump, the slimmest and smallest durable insulin pump currently on the market; the t:flex Insulin Pump, the first pump designed for people with greater insulin requirements; and the t:slim G4 Insulin Pump, the first continuous glucose monitoring-enabled pump with touchscreen simplicity. Tandem is based in San Diego, Calif.